Rethink Mental Illness respond to latest CQC community mental health survey

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has released the findings of it's latest Community Mental Health Survey, which looks at the experiences of people who use community mental health services. 

While some areas have shown improvement, the results reveal that community mental health care is struggling to meet people’s needs.

• Around a third (32%) of respondents did not get the help they needed when they made contact during a crisis.
• 46% of young people waited three months or more for their first CAMHS appointment for treatment and over half (54%) received no support while waiting.
• More people are reporting being treated with care and compassion (67%, up from 65% in 2023 and 2024).
  
  

Read the full results here. 

Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive, Rethink Mental Illness:
 
“This latest report from the CQC paints a picture that is both familiar and deeply concerning. It’s encouraging to see more people feeling they are being treated with compassion, dignity and respect, but the reality is that far too many people are being failed by a system that cannot meet their needs.

"We need urgent action to tackle the barriers that mean young people, autistic people and disabled people are less likely to get the help they need, while we also urgently need a clear plan to reduce mental health waiting times. It is also simply unacceptable that people contacting crisis services are not getting the help they need to ensure our children and young people are safe and cared for.
 
“Behind every statistic is a story of someone waiting for a lifeline. Someone trying to stay well, someone trying to care for a loved one and someone trying to ensure mental illness does not derail their lives. Community mental health services are vital in preventing crisis, but they cannot do this without the right investment and resource to help people stay well and out of hospital.”